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More About the Author

Peter Schweizer is the President of the Government Accountability Institute, the William J. Casey Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University , and a best-selling author, most recently of "Throw Them All Out: How Politicians and Their Friends Get Rich off Insider Stock Tips, Land Deals, and Cronyism That Would Send the Rest of Us to Prison" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

It all boils down to the 'bottom line', doesn't it? For me, the underlying theme of this book was profits, profits, profits. Whatever it takes to increase profits, that's what Disney will do.Walt Disney was a different kind of man than Michael Eisner. Walt wanted to create good, wholesome family entertainment - he knew if he did that, the money would come. Eisner, playing off Disney's well-earned reputation, used the profits from Disney classics and theme parks to bankroll projects that Walt would have been embarrassed to mention publicly.There was a lot of anecdotal evidence in this book, and some reviewers claim that these two authors essentially had 'an axe to grind', or were pushing a conservative agenda. That thought occurred to me too, though I've discovered through other sources that Eisner and his people never really liked Walt Disney's "family values".Disney is a business, and shareholders are entitled to a return on their money. Given the success of G-rated movies and wholesome family entertainment, the book makes you wonder why Disney would invest heavily in other forms that are certainly less profitable. But this book isn't trying to answer that question; it just sticks to providing insight into the new direction Disney is going, and the causes its management supports. Some of the 'behind the scenes' goings-on will surprise and shock you. The Mouse has its fingers in many pies, some quite unsavory. Ooops, careful, we must be 'tolerant'.Upon finishing the book, you'll never look at Disney the same.

While much hoopla has been made over the past ten years regarding the Walt Disney Company's departure from everything its founder embodied, few exposes have probed as deeply or turned up a fraction as much dirt as this work offers. In fact, the Schweizers explore some new territory in their frontal assault on what may be America's most dishonest company. Many works of this nature rely heavily on anonymous sources, second-hand guessing, or other questionable inferences. Whatever one think of this thorough expose, it should be commended for corroborating nearly every charge with a named first-hand source. From the slaves who toil in Asian sweat shops making Disney merchandise to the Disney employees who identify their pedophilia-practicing or voyeuristic co-workers to the law enforcement authorities citing company cover-ups of homicides and fatal accidents occurring on Disney property, every specific allegation is supported by a one or more credible identified accuser.The conglomerate's lust for profits regularly puts patron in harm's ways at its theme parks. Rides that once closed during electrical storms, now routinely stay open, and named Disney employees are quoted as saying they are told to lie to inquiring customers asking if it is safe to board. Whenever anyone is injured-even seriously--at a Disney park, face-saving policy dictates that Guest Relations is called before 911. This allows park ambassadors to schmooze victims before they can receive treatment.Compared to these physical dangers, the debauched entertainment of the new Disney seems tertiary. Despite the widespread sleaze that it puts out under its various pseudonyms, The Walt Disney Company still claims to be family-friendly.Read more ›

I love the Disney image, most people do. But the fact is that Disney is a corporation, and whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, they do engage in big-corporation business. Most people look at the Disney brand name, and why not, it is squeaky clean. But as the authors reveal in this book, things go on in the company beyond the theme parks and movies. These two authors, backed by a whole lot of evidence, have uncovered some very shocking truths about Walt's company as it is today, and how it is being run by the likes of people like Michael Eisner. Do you know for example that Disney copied the whole idea for the Lion King from the works of a now dead Japanese animator? It is very much true, and the authors have gone to great lengths to prove it. And how about that when he came to Disney from Paramount, that Michael Eisner wanted to get rid of the animation department because he felt that what people really wanted to see was live action films, not childern's cartoon movies, though the fact that Disney still existed then, and now, was in the most major part, based on the high quality animated works that had made the company known worldwide. The fact that the mascot and logo for the company was a cartoon mouse created by Walt himself should have tipped Mr. Eisner off. Nothing personal on Mr. Eisner though, but he is the CEO of the company and he KNOWS what is going on, believe me. A lot of what I read makes me feel shame towards Disney today, and really challenged my view of the Walt Disney Co. And for those who may just think I don't like Disney and so I am trying to put its name in the mud, well not so. I am a Disney shareholder, and therefore I have ownership in this company and a hit against it is a hit against my investment.Read more ›